Both North American countries have a policy of deporting criminals who are non-nationals when they have served their prison sentence, and of deporting illegal immigrants. Many members of the Azores emigrant community in those countries have never sought nationality there for their families, with the result that many people caught up in the criminal law have been deported to the Azores despite hardly ever having been there.

“There's a downward trend with deportations," Teves told Lusa. "I think that above all the factor is owed a lot to this awareness on the part of our community of the importance of taking out [US and Canadian] nationality.”

According to the Azores Regional Directorate of Communities, in 2011 the archipelago received 63 citizens deported form North America, the following year 59 and the year after 37. In 2014, there were 24 Portuguese nationals deported to the Azores, where their families had originated, and in 2015 that fell to 21.

Last year the figure rose to 23 and so far this year 16 have been deported to the Azores.

According to Teves, while there has been no change in the policy on deportations in the US and Canada, the Portuguese communities there have become more aware of the need to secure nationality for their families.

“I think our community is ever more informed about their rights and of the importance of their having a very active role in the societies where they live," he said. Azores regional officials have been working with those communities and found that more people are seeking information on establishing their status.

As well as campaigns involving community and social clubs in North America, a campaign with Azores airline SATA and travel agencies in the archipelago resulted in anyone who bought a ticket to the US or Canada under the visa waiver scheme received information about rights under the visa.